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Providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date information and analysis of the Short and City Breaks market, and the behaviours, preferences and habits of the consumer.

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What are the key challenges facing the industry and how fast are its rates of growth? Who is the consumer and what do they want? Where are the opportunities, where are the risks and what lies ahead?

Covered in this Report

Short and city breaks refer to overnight trips of one to three nights
made for leisure purposes. Short breaks for the purpose of visiting
friends and family, business or other purposes are excluded. Data
on the size of the domestic market is for Great Britain rather than
the United Kingdom (ie Northern Ireland is not included), sourced
from GBTS (Great Britain Tourism Survey). Data for the overseas
market is for the United Kingdom, sourced from IPS (International
Passenger Survey).

What you need to know

The total number of short breaks taken by UK consumers
increased by 6.5% in 2017, reaching an estimated 46.4 million
trips. Expenditure grew by a similar amount to reach an estimated
£9.8 billion (not including overseas transport costs). The market
has now achieved a record level of trips, both domestic and
overseas.

Mintel expects short breaks to increase at a faster pace than
longer holidays over the next five years. Short breaks are a
high priority for more affluent consumers. Those on tighter
budgets are seeking to control their spending by reducing the
length of their trips away. There is also an emerging pattern of
younger people taking shorter but more frequent holidays. These
positive expectations include a caveat of considerable economic
uncertainty due to volatile oil prices and the run-up to Brexit and
beyond.

Expert analysis from a specialist in the field

Written by John Worthington, a leading analyst in the Tourism sector, his extensive knowledge delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.

There is growing potential for ‘me-time’ holidays that allow travellers to pursue their personal interests. These could be trips that enable those in couples to have a short break away from their partner or family in the company of friends, or even by themselves.
John Worthington
Senior Tourism Analyst

What's included

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* This is a sample representation of the report layout and does not reflect the research included in this report.

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Table of contents

Overview

What you need to know

Covered in this Report

Executive Summary

Short breaks reach record high

Figure 1: Domestic short break market volume forecast, 2013-23

Figure 2: Overseas short break market volume forecast, 2013-23

City breaks dominate

Figure 3: Type of UK and overseas short breaks taken, May 2018

OTAs take 50% share of overseas short break market

Figure 4: How last short break was booked, May 2018

Millennial bargain hunters

Figure 5: Consumer behaviour on short breaks, May 2018

Off the radar

Figure 6: Short break preferences and interests, May 2018

What we think

Issues and Insights

Short break portfolios

The facts

The implications

Rising potential of event breaks

The facts

The implications

Multi-generational breaks

The facts

The implications

Work/play packages

The facts

The implications

The Market – What You Need to Know

New records for one- to three-night breaks

Growth trend is upwards but Brexit and oil price pose threats

South West/North West most popular UK short break regions

Surge in short breaks to Spain

Short breaks abroad take flight…

…but rising oil price could ground overseas growth

Consumers factor in costs as local prices increase for second year

Market Size and Forecast

Record 46.4 million short breaks in 2017

Figure 7: Total short breaks (1-3 nights) taken by UK residents, by volume and value*, 2013-23

Domestic short breaks exceed ‘staycation year’ of 2009

Figure 8: Domestic short breaks (1-3 nights) taken by UK residents, by volume and value, 2013-23

Overseas short break numbers up 49% in past four years

Figure 9: Overseas short breaks (1-3 nights) taken by UK residents, by volume and value, 2013-23

Cost cutting and ‘little and often’ trend likely to drive further growth…

…but short breaks remain vulnerable to economic shocks

Figure 10: Total short break market volume forecast, 2013-23

Figure 11: Total short break market value* forecast, 2013-23

Figure 12: Domestic short break market volume forecast, 2013-23

Figure 13: Domestic short break market value* forecast, 2013-23

Figure 14: Overseas short break market volume forecast, 2013-23

Figure 15: Overseas short break market value* forecast, 2013-23

Segment Performance

Hoseasons reports rise in UK ‘snacking’ breaks

Figure 16: Estimated number of domestic (1-3 nights) short breaks, by region, 2017